It’s finally happened, folks — a Wonderwall singalong at Allianz Field for the first time since April. The Loons have won at home, and the energy is on the rise as they take this momentum down to Sandy, Utah for a marquee matchup against Real Salt Lake. Now it’s up to the guys to make sure the vibes stay high and RSL goes dry. Let’s get into it.
Run of Form
Minnesota United FC
Run of Form: W-D-L-D-D (All Competitions)
The Loons officially ended their winless streak last night, wrapping up their Leagues Cup 2026 campaign with a decisive 3-1 victory over Atlante FC. Still, they haven’t won a regular-season game since May, and are sitting just below the play-in line in a crowded Western Conference. A mere three points separate fifth from 10th in the West, so a big win in Salt Lake this weekend could launch the Black and Blue up to a much more comfortable position in the table. Last night’s success could have been a turning point, but the boys will have to pull off a result on the road this weekend to prove it.
Real Salt Lake
Run of Form: W-W-D-D-L (All Competitions)
The Claret and Cobalt also wrapped up their Phase One of Leagues Cup with a 3-0 win against FC Juárez, positioning themselves well to advance in the tournament depending on the results of Austin, Dallas, Chicago, and LAFC. Pablo Mastroeni’s side has only lost a single regular-season game at home this season. Still, despite their fifth-place spot in the West — with a game in hand on nearly every club above them — they also haven’t won an MLS match since May. Their Leagues Cup wins may not feel as tenuous as Minnesota’s, but this weekend will still be a tone-setter.
Keys to the Match:
Gozo, Going, Gone
The hottest storyline in Real Salt Lake this season has undeniably been that of 19-year-old midfielder Zavier Gozo, who’s had the breakout year of every kid’s dreams. In just 16 games, he’s logged six goals, five assists, and 19 shots on target. He took to the pitch for the 2026 MLS All-Star Game, and he’s put himself firmly in the USMNT call-up conversation. Now, though, the young star of RSL is saying his goodbyes — word on the street says he’s off to the English Premier League’s Crystal Palace for a club-record transfer deal of $15 million.
You’d think Real Salt Lake might be scrambling to fill the gap in their attack. Unfortunately, you’d think wrong.
Gozo didn’t feature in any of RSL’s Leagues Cup matches, and Sergi Solans and Pablo Ruiz have already stepped up as big scorers in his absence. RSL has made only one inbound move this transfer window — previous Real Monarchs attacker Lineker Rodrigues — and he’s already scored. Gozo’s move can’t be written off entirely, but seeing his departure as a burden Salt Lake can’t lift just isn’t accurate. They’ve proven that they’re not a team built on any one man’s star power, Diego Luna included, and that makes them a very tough opponent to fight.
We Love Joaquín Pereyra
That’s it. That’s the key.
Okay, not really, but this guy was on a roll against Atlante. Returning to the fine form we know him for, he logged two goals and an assist in his partnerships with Marcus Caldeira and Mauricio González. Over the course of 90 minutes, we saw him engineer countless opportunities from the midfield, weave through defenders with his trademark fancy footwork, and demonstrate the finishing ability the Loons have been so sorely lacking as of late. He makes the players around him better, because he’s able to read an attack regardless of who he’s on the pitch with, and he’s not afraid to pass and hand off the opportunity to someone in a better position. Pereyra leads the club in assists (7), crosses (27), and touches (1,209). He’s on lock, and if he carries that energy into this weekend’s matchup, we’ll be in good shape.
Winging It
A staple of the Loons’ back five under Head Coach Cameron Knowles has, irrevocably, been a pair of dynamic wingbacks. Whether it’s Anthony Markanich, Kyle Duncan, Bongokuhle Hlongwane, or Kieran Chandler, the Black and Blue are consistently flexible on the flanks. Wingbacks aren’t traditionally heavy goal-scorers — though Markanich has been an exception to the rule with his set piece game — instead operating primarily as builders. They move up and down, get touches as the squad makes a push forward, and provide the wide options the midfield needs to progress the ball.
It’s worth noting that Minnesota also tends to use right and left center backs in a more aggressive manner than a lot of teams. Against Tigres, Carlos Harvey and Hlongwane teamed up to essentially give the team two right backs. Capitalizing on that aggression and getting our boys to create more robust run-of-play opportunities from the back — whether through a clever overlap or an extra burst of speed to the endline — could be the key to breaking the dam on a flurry of MNUFC goals. What’s that saying? The harder you wing it, the higher you fly.
